Sheet piler



W. M. KEIL SHEET FILER Feb. 15, 1944.

Original Filed May 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m M w MICHAEL KEIL w. M.KEIL SHEET FILER Feb. 15, 1944.

Original Filed May 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Elma/who'd WALTER MICHAELKEIL Paiented-Feb. 15, 1944 sneer Walter Michael Keil, Youngstown, Ohio,usilnor to Youngstown Foundry and Machin e Company, Youngstown, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Original application May 20, 1989, Serial No.

274,770. Divided and this application September 19, 1941, Serial No.411,502

l Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic machine tor stacking sheets,plates or similar arti-' cles as they issue i'rom production orfinishing I apparatus and more particularly to a machine for the purposestated which is capable of rapidly stacking highly finished metallicsheets without marring or otherwise injuring the same.

Apparatus for thepurpose stated usually consists 0! a mechanism forconveying the sheets or plates along a generally horizontal path andwhen the sheets or plates have reached a predetermined position alongthe path, the supporting devices are withdrawn to allow the sheet orplate to fall onto a stack or pile positioned below the horizontal pathof travel. The present invention is concerned only with the support forthe stack or pile as capable of adaptation to a sheet piling machineemploying any suitable means for supporting the sheets for travel alonga horizontal path and to drop the sheets when the proper position isreached. In co-pending application, Serial No. 274,770, filed May 20,1939, now D. S. Patent No. 2,257,469, dated September 30, 1941, of whichthe present application is a division, an improved arrangement forsupporting, moving and dropping the sheets is disclosed and claimed andthe improved stack supporting arrangement of the present application isillustrated as being used in combination therewith.

Heretofore it has been common practice to position a truck or otherwheeled support beneath the dropping point of the sheet piling mechanismand the sheets were allowed to accumulate thereon until the desirednumber or load was reached, after which the truck or other supportwaswithdrawn and an empty truck or support substituted. Since thedesired stack or pile may be of substantial depth, the sheets fallingfirst onto the truck or support have a substantial length of fall andsome become damaged as they reach the support or pile under impact.Also, when the distance of fall is great, it is dimcult to maintain thehorizontal alignment of the sheets since the sheets have a tendency toincline and move horizontally as they fall. It is accordingly theprimary object of the invention to provide in a sheet piling assembly adurable mechanism for supporting the pile of sheets accumulated in suchmanner that the distance of fall may be kept to in accordance with theinvention by mounting the table or immediate support for the pile on arugged and durable mechanism which is operative to lower the table orsupport, either automatically or manually as the pile of sheetsaccumulates. In this manner the sheet on the top of the pile may bealways maintained a substantially uniform interval below the sheetdropping mechanism.

' A further object of the invention is to facilitate the removal of acompleted'pile from below the dropping mechanism of the piling machinewhile reducing the amount of attention and labor required on the part ofthe machine'operator and the amount of subsequent handling of the pile.This is accomplished in accordance with the invention by employing apivotally mounted table or other immediate support for the pile which aminimum and maintained substantially equal at both the beginning andthe, end of formation of a pile of sheets. In this manner theprobability of damage to the sheets is greatly minimized and themaintaining of the required alignment is iacilitated. This obiect isaccomplished operates automatically in such manner that when in elevatedor sheet receiving position, it lies substantially in a horizontal planebut when moved to lowermost or run-out position, it automaticallyassumes an inclined position whereby the completedv pile of sheets isautomatically moved out of the machine by gravity. To this end the pilesupportis provided with a series of rolls and is constructed similarlyto a run-out table. It is common practice to support a sheet pile on apair of longitudinally extending blocks or sleepers and in the preferredembodiment of the invention, a pairol spaced parallel roller tables isemployed, one for each of the blocks to provide the immediate supportfor the pile of sheets.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simply constructedarrangement for aligning the sheets as they accumulate on the pile,which aligning device is operative as the pile is lowered,

as explained above, but which, nevertheless, is

readily removable to enable the pile to roll out of the machine upon itscompletion.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following detailed specificationand the accompanying drawings wherein there is illustrated a preferredembodiment of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a, sheetpiling apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of theinvention;

Figure 2 is an end view of the apparatus of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the pile support of the apparatus of Figure1.

The apparatus of the invention, in its preferred and illustratedembodiment, comprises a base constructed of structural steel members l8and extending upwardly from the base are a plurality of supportingcolumns ll. Columns II are arranged to support the sheet moving anddropping mechanism and for this purpose, cross beams l2 are mounted onthe columns. As indicated in Figures 1 and 2, cross beams l2 slldablysupport a pair of longitudinally extending endless chain supports I3,one on either side of the path of travel of the sheets throughout themachine. The chains l4 are entrained over driven sprockets l5 and idlersprockets l6 and are provided with a multiplicity of spaced hangers l1,to each of which is pivoted a sheet supporting finger l8. Each of thefingers I8 is provided with an attached roller l9 and the operation ofthe assembly is such that as the fingers, during their orbital movement,enter the sheet supporting reach of their path of travel, the rollers 19engage a cam surface 20 to move the fingers I8 to sheet supportingposition. As the fingers traverse the. inner reaches of their paths,rollers l9 move along bars 21 to maintain the fingers in sheetsupporting positions. When a particular sheet has advanced to its properdropping position, bars 2| are removed from behind rollers l9 therebyallowing fingers l8 to rotate downwardly, thus withdrawing suddenly allsupport of the sheet. This mechanism is shown and described more fullyin the above mentioned co-pending application and is only schematicallyshown herein, since it forms no essential part of the invention which isthe subject matter of the present application. It should be apparent asthe description proceeds that other specific constructions for moving,supporting and dropping the sheets may be employed in conjunction withthe structure of the present invention.

In addition to the sheet supporting, moving and dropping mechanism asoutlined above, the complete sheet piling device includes some means forsupportingthe stack or pile of sheets. In the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, this additional mechanism comprises a pair of laterallyextending but longitudinally spaced saddles 23, each of which isprovided with a boss 24 at each end. Bosses 24 are bored and threadedvertically to have screw-threaded connection with the verticallyextending screws 25. The latter are rotatably mounted in gear boxes 26.Within each of the boxes 26 is a, gear (not shown) keyed to the screwand meshing with a second gear (not shown) keyed to a horizontallyextending shaft 21. The shafts 21 on one side of the machine aresimultaneously driven from a. reduction gear 28, while the shafts 21 onthe other side of the machine are simultaneously driven from a reductiongear 29. A motor 38 drives the reduction gears 28 and 29 in unisonthrough coupling 3| and transverse connecting shaft 32. The screwdriving mechanism thus described is assembled in such manner thatrotation of motor 30 in one direction will elevate both saddles 23evenly, while rotation of the motor in the opposite direction will lowerthe saddles in unison.

As indicated in Figure 1, each of the saddles 23 is provided with atransversely extending groove 34 in its upper surface. Extendinglongitudinally and spanning the longitudinally spaced saddles 23 are twotransversely spaced run-out tables 35 which consist of structural sidemembers 36 and rollers 31 journaled therein. Welded or otherwisesuitably secured to the lower surface of the structural members 36 aretransversely extending lugs or projections 38 which are adapted to bereceived in the grooves 34 of the saddles 23; When the tables 35 are inelevated or sheet receiving positions, the grooves 34 in both saddlesare engaged and the tables 35 are in horizontal position. As the tablesare lowered, however, by rotation of the screws 25, one of their endscomes to rest on a transversely extending abutment 48 which is mountedon a beam 4| supported on certain of the structural members ll! of thebase. The other ends of the table, however, continue their downwardmovement and the tables are thus caused to be inclined and theaccumulated pile of sheets will move out of the machine by gravity.Referring to Figure 2, it will be noted that the pile of sheetsdesignated by reference numeral 42 rests on blocks or sleepers 43 whichare placed on the rolls 31 before the piling operation is begun. Thesheet piles coming off the tables 35 may pass onto other conveyingequipment as the plant may be provided with.

Suitable means may be employed to align the sheets horizontally as thesame fall onto the pile 42 and this may include either fixed oroscillating guides, the latter of which move inwardly to align eachsucceeding sheet as it falls onto the pile. In the embodimentillustrated, the sheets are aligned longitudinally by a pair oftransversely spaced oscillating guides 45 which are keyed to atransversely, extending shaft 48 journaled in bearings 41 secured tocertain of the columns I I. Shaft 46 is arranged to be rocked by an aircylinder 48 which is coupled with a lever 49, also keyed to the shaft46. Guides 45 are positioned opposite a normally fixed guide 68 which iscarried by the block 5| slldably mounted on a bar 52 extending betweenthe two tables 35. Block 5| is arranged to be adjusted along bar 52 andlocked in selected position to accommodate sheets of different lengths.Further, guide 59 is pivotally mounted in a slot in block 5| so thatmoved to the piling machine by the plant conveyor, not shown, are firstsupported and moved to proper position by the fingers I8 and thenallowed to fall onto the supporting blocks 43. Cylinder 48 is actuatedeither manually or automatically to move the sheet against the fixedguide 50, after which the oscillating, guide 45 is retracted to .allowthe next sheet to fall freely onto the preceding sheet. It should beobserved that by reason of the elevated position of the blocks 43, thesheets fall but a short distance and thus are not subjected to damagingimpacts. Also, the sheets do not move far out of their desiredhorizontal position and, therefore, the sheets of the pile may be neatlyaligned with a minimum of sliding movement between the respectivesheets. It should be understood that, if desired, suitable fixed ormoving guides may also be provided to engage the side edges of thesheets in the pile. As the sheets accumulate on the pile, the motor 36is energized under either manual or automatic control to lower thetables 35 as the pile builds up.

It should now be apparent that I have provided an improved assembly forsupporting, guiding and moving the piles of sheets in a sheet pilingmachine, which accomplishes the objects initially set out. The intervalbetween the top of the pile and the sheet dropping mechanism issubstantially constant and at a minimum, thereby reducing theprobability of injury to the stock and facilitating the aligning of thesheets in the pile. The aligning mechanism is operative either while thepile is at rest or is moving downwardly and when the pile is moved tolowermost position, it assumes an inclined position and will roll out ofthe machine by gravity. These are the essential broader characteristicsof the invention and, therefore the above specifically describedembodiment should be considered as illustrative only and not in alimiting sense. Reference should therefore be had to the appended claimsin determining the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a sheet piling apparatus having a pair of horizontally spacedparallel conveyors to engage and support the opposite side portions ofmetal sheets to thereby move the sheets in succession along apredetermined path and means to withdraw said support as the sheetsreach a predetermined position immediately above the location of thepile to be formed; means to support said sheets as they fall comprisinga runout table, a vertically movable frame supporting said table, meansto lower said frame as the sheets accumulate on said table, said framecomprising a pair of longitudinally spaced laterally extending saddlespositioned below the level of said conveyors, a vertically extendingscrew at each end of said saddles and having screw threaded connectiontherewith, said table spanning said saddles and having pivotalconnection with one of said saddles. means to rotate said screws inunison, and an abutment ad- Jacent the other saddle to limit thedownward movement of the adjacentcnd of said table whereby the table ismoved to inclined position as the saddles reach their lowermostpositions.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising in combination twolongitudinally spaced pairs of vertically extending screws, the screwsof each pair being laterally spaced, each of said pairs supporting andhaving screw-threaded connection with a laterally extending saddle,means to rotate said screws simultaneously whereby said saddles may beraised or lowered in unison, a longitudinally extending run-put tablesupported on said saddles, and means to limit the downward movement ofone end of said table whereby said table is moved to an inclinedposition as it approaches its lowermost position upon rotation in onedirection of said screws. i

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 further including a retractable stopextending upwardly from adjacent one end of said run-out table, and anoscillating member positioned adjacent the opposite end of said table toengage the sheets falling onto saidtable to align the same against saidstop.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising in combination twolongitudinally spaced pairs of vertically extending screws, the screwsof each pair being spaced laterally and having screw threaded connectionwith a laterally extending saddle, a longitudinally extending sheet pilesupport carried on said saddles and adapted to be raised and lowered byrotation of said screws, means to rotate said screws in unisoncomprising a motor, a pair of spaced speed reducing mechanisms alignedwith said motor and adapted to be driven thereby. inwardly directedshafts coupled with two of said screws and with the output shaft of oneof said mechanisms, and inwardly directed shafts coupled with the otherof said screws and the output shaft of the other of said mechanisms.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 further characterized in that saidsheet pile support comprises a run-out table. and means to limit thedownward movement of one end of said table whereby the same will becaused to assume an inclined position as it reaches its lowermostposition.

WALTER mcnam. Km

